How to Distinguish
- Vehicles drive on the left side.
- Bengali script (বাংলা লিপি) is visible, with the characteristic ◁ shape.
- Commercial vehicles often have green license plates.
- Black-and-white striped poles are used for signage, similar to neighboring Bhutan.
- Red-and-white striped bollards are common, often seen near bridges.
- Baby taxis and CNG rickshaws are common forms of transportation. ( Japanese Trading Companies Association Monthly - Bangladesh's Transport Revolution) ( Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology - Tetsuro Hyodo's Page)
- The Google Car in Bangladesh may show red exterior with green reflected on the mirrors.
- The logo of Dhaka Bank might be visible in some locations.
Signs you can find

Red-and-white striped bollards . These are frequently lined on roadsides near bridges.(Image Source) .

By Ibrahim Husain Meraj - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Black-and-white striped poles are used for signage.
Bengali is the primary language in Bangladesh.
Language | Example |
---|---|
Japanese | 日本料理レストラン |
Sinhala | ජපන් අවන්හල |
Assamese | জাপানীজ ৰেষ্টুৰেণ্ট |
Kannada | ಜಪಾನೀಸ್ ರೆಸ್ಟೋರೆಂಟ್ |
Gujarati | જાપાનીઝ રેસ્ટોરન્ટ |
Tamil | ஜப்பானிய உணவகம் |
Telugu | జపనీస్ రెస్టారెంట్ |
Bengali | জাপানি রেস্তোরা |
Hindi | जापानी रेस्टोरेंट |
Khmer | ភោជនីយដ្ឋានជប៉ុន |
Lao | ຮ້ານອາຫານຍີ່ປຸ່ນ |
Thai | ร้านอาหารญี่ปุ่น |
Narrow down state/region
I can't tell; they all look the same.- If you see what looks like soybean fields, consider checking the area roughly in the middle between Dhaka and Chittagong (areas along Road No. Z14).
Narrow down city/town
- Signs for Dhaka Bank or Dutch-Bangla Bank often include the town name on their corners, which can serve as a clue if the general region is known.
- St. Martin's Island is notable for having rickshaws and concrete roads but no other forms of transportation, often accompanied by security personnel.
Signs for Dhaka Bank or Dutch-Bangla Bank often display the town name in English on one side, which can be read. The other side is in Bengali, which might be harder to decipher.
As noted on Wikipedia, rickshaws are the only mode of transportation on the island. ( St. Martin's Island) Even without visible security personnel, if only rickshaws and concrete roads are present, it is likely St. Martin’s Island.
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